The CSTO Coordination Council on Combating Illegal Migration has discussed the situation of refugees from Afghanistan

On August 24, 2021, the CSTO Crisis Response Center, chaired by Lieutenant General Valentina Kazakova, Head of the Main Directorate for Migration of the Russian Interior Ministry, hosted the 24th meeting of the Coordination Council of the Heads of Competent Authorities of CSTO Member States on Combating Illegal Migration.

The CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov participated in the meeting of the Coordination Council of the Heads of Competent Authorities of CSTO Member States on Combating Illegal Migration. In his welcoming remarks, he emphasized that an extraordinary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council with the agenda "On the situation in Afghanistan and its impact on the security of the CSTO member States" was held on August 23 via videoconferencing.

Among the security-related issues discussed, the heads of state substantially examined the situation of refugees and migration flows from Afghanistan. The Presidents gave relevant instructions to work out proposals for consideration at the next session of the Collective Security Council in Dushanbe. In this respect, V. Semerikov drew attention to the necessity to thoroughly consider the issues related to the refugees, which were included in the agenda of the current session of the Coordination Council of the Heads of Competent Authorities of CSTO Member States on Combating Illegal Migration.

In the course of further work while discussing the issues on the Agenda, the participants of the meeting took into account the report of the Coordination Council of the Heads of Competent Authorities of CSTO Member States on Combating Illegal Migration Member from the Republic of Tajikistan on the situation with the refugees from the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, as well as the statements of other members of the Coordinating Council on this topic. It was defined that the Coordination Council of the Heads of Competent Authorities of CSTO Member States on Combating Illegal Migration members would continue on a permanent basis to monitor the situation related to the displacement of citizens from the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in search of place to stay. The Tajik side, taking into account the military and political situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, in case of a potential threat of mass crossing the borders of CSTO member States by hiding-place seekers, will send information to the CSTO Secretariat for further informing the Coordination Council of the Heads of Competent Authorities of CSTO Member States on Combating Illegal Migration members.

In addition, the participants of the Coordination Council of the Heads of Competent Authorities of CSTO Member States on Combating Illegal Migration meeting positively evaluated the results of the work done in the reporting period to control migration processes and combat illegal migration, and reaffirmed the need for further joint efforts in order to comprehensively combat illegal migration.

As a result of the Coordinating Council meeting a protocol was signed and it was decided to hold the next meeting of the Council in the Republic of Armenia in 2022.

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 The CSTO Press Secretary Vladimir Zaynetdinov

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